Chairs



April 25, 1961 c. F. CLOSE 2,981,319

CHAIRS INVENTOR: CHARLES F. CLOSE ATT'YS April 25, 1961 c. F. CLOSE CHAIRS Filed June 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 3 36 76 INVENTOR: CHARLES F. CLOSE ATT'YS United States Patent CHAIRS Charles F. Close, Arlington Heights, Ill., assignor to Arlington Seating Co., Arlington Heights, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed June 5, 1958, Ser. No. 740,034

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-194) This invention relates to a novel chair construction.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple chair construction having a detachable seat and back-rest of plywood or light, durable material and a metal framework which can be readily assembled from a relatively few parts, preferably by welding, giving rise to a relatively inexpensive but attractive and. especially sturdy and durable construction.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view with the seat removed;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation with the seat in place;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through line 3-3 of Fig. 2 with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view along the line 44 of ,Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the rear seat supporting element;

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view along the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Referring in particular to the drawings, the chair 1 is provided with a horizontal front rung 2 and side rails 3 and 4 which are horizontally channeled mirror images of one another. Inverted, elongated U-shaped, side rails 3 and 4 may be and are preferably formed as integral units from a sheet metal stamping, later rolled; or they may be each assembled from a plurality of individual curved channel sections. Side rails 3 and 4 in assembly provide a parallel, essentially horizontal seat supporting means when held in spaced apart relation by front rung 2, preferably a straight tubular member, the opposite ends of which have been flattened or compressed together, and by rear rung 5 having an offset 6 centrally disposed therein. The oppositely disposed ends of rear rung 5 are also preferably flattened to facilitate welding during assembly. A pair of L-shaped back-supporting members 7 and 8 originate in front of and superimposed upon front rung 2 in tapered, cut-off ends 9 and.10. The horizontal legs 7a and 7b thereof are supported above and on front rung 2 and rear rung 5 by weldments at common points oftangency. Vertical legs 7b and 8b of back supports 7 and 8 are in skew relation to one another and terminally provide vertical back-supporting means for chair back 12. Back 12 is preferably of generally oval design and curved to fit the upper back of the human body and is attached rearwardly to the chair back-rest 12 to vertical legs 7b and 812 by fasteners 11.

It is preferred that the rear rung 5 be formed of a length of tubular stock which has centrally disposed within its length an upwardly directed offset 6. Free ends 14 and 15 of rung 5 are crimped together, inserted through holes on the inward sides of channelled side rails 3 and 4 and welded inwardly of the downwardly depending stub side legs tubes 16 and 17 as shown in Fig. 6, although it is obvious that other means of attachment of rear supporting rung 5 to seat supporting side rails 3 and 4 may be used. Tubular stub legs 17 and 18 and 2,981,319 Patented Apr. 25, 1961 16 and 19 depend downwardly and outwardly from the free ends of side rungs 4 and 3 respectively and terminate in leg receiving sockets 20, 21, 22 and 23 which are so disposed as to extend downwardly and outwardly from their juncture with side rails 3 and 4, with which they are integral in the preferred form of the invention. Legs 26, 27, 28 and 29 are adapted to he slipped, in telescopic fashion, into the corresponding leg sockets 20, 21, 22 and 23 of the stub legs and are readily fastened in their telescoped relation by welding. The free ends of the lower legs 26, 27, 28 and 29 may be fitted with means for lentgh adjustment thereof, though not essential, with universally pivotable floor shoes 30, 31, 32 and 33. These floor contacting free ends of legs 26, 27, 28 and 29 are preferably adapted to define a rectangle of larger dimention than the overall dimension of the seat supporting side rails 3 and 4 and rungs 2 and 5 for greatest chair stability. Upon fastening chair seat 35 to the upward faces of seat supporting channelled side rails 3 and 4, the rearward portion 36 of seat 35 is spaced upwardly directly above offset '6, allowing a small amount of free space 38 to exist between the top are of offset 6 and the lower surface of seat 35 along its rearward area at 36. Thus, when the chair is in use, downward pressure exerted upon seat 35 causes slight downward deflection of seat 35, which downward motion is arrested as contact is made at a point of tangency between the upper curved surface of offset 6 and the lower, more or less planar, portion 36 of seat element 35. Thus, offset 6 provides a stop means allowing the comfort of some flexibility in the seat and yet providing a limitation in the deflection permitted, necessary to the strength and durability of the chair. Seat 35 also makes contact with the upper horizontal surfaces 40 and 41 of channel sectioned rung seat supporting elements 3 and 4. Preferably seat 35 is fastened to surfaces 40 and 41 by rivets as shown at 43. Other fastening means may be substituted, however. Chair back 12 is fastened as indicated previously to vertical legs 7b and 8b of back supporting elements 7.and 8 by fasteners 11.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be observed that ofiset 6 of rear rung 5 is directed upwardly from its mounting in downwardly depending stub leg sockets 16 and 17 to provide in use support for seat 35 near its rearward extremity 36. Chair seat 35 and back rest 12 are preferably curved to conform with the portions of the anatomy to which they are adapted to receive and are conveniently of laminated or plywood construction.

Fig. 4 indicates the channel-shaped section of seat supporting side rails 3 and 4, which in the preferred modifi- 7 cation in construction are identical pieces, while in another modification are rearwardly and slightly down wardly shaped, but in any case side rails 3 and 4 are mirror images of one another. The receiving hole inwardly of side rail 4, leg socket 17 admits terminal end 14 of rear rung 5 which is shown welded at 45 interiorly of channel-shaped side rail 4 prior to assembly of seat 35 to flat upper face 40 of channeled side rail 4. Additionally, one observes the weldment 46 of back supporting L-shaped element 7a as it crosses at right angles to and is' supported by rear rung 5. The flattening of the oppositely disposed ends, 14 and 15, of rear rung 5 as shown in Fig. 5 facilitates assembly of the front and rear rungs within leg sockets 16 and 17, particularly when fastening of the assembly is through welding means.

The above description in conjunction with the drawings illustrates a preferred modification of the invention, but it is obvious that variations may be made in certain particulars without departing from the improvement in chair construction as described above and within the purview of the appended claims.

anemia Having thus described my invention,'I claim:

1. A chair comprising a pair of seat-supporting side rails .held in spaced apart essentially parallel relation by a front rung and a rear rung, each of said side rails -terminating at their free ends in downwardly depending legs, a pair of L-shaped members the horizontal free ends of which originate in spaced apart and rigid attachment at said front rung and the vertical free ends of which terminate above said seat support in attachment to a chair backrest, said rear rung member also providing supporting means for the horizontal legs of the L-shaped back-rest supporting elements and having centrally disposed therein an upwardly directed offset, and a seat capable of limited downward deflection secured to. the upper surfaces of said seat-supporting side rails adapted to rest thereon with the rear underside of said seat adapted to tangential contact with said offset due to said downward deflection when said chair is in use, there being a free space between the underside of said seat and the top of said ofiset when said chair is not in use.

2. A chair comprising a pair of seat-supporting channel-shaped side rails the open sides of which are inwardly disposed held in spaced apart, essentially parallel, relation by a single front and rear .rung, said side rails terminating at their free ends in downwardly depending tubular stub legs, said stub legs of generally tubular form and adapted to receive in telescopic assembly tapered chair leg extension elements, a pair of L-shaped members the horizontal free ends of which originate in spaced apart and rigid attachment above and supported by said front rung, the vertical free ends of which terminate rearwardly and above said rear rung in a back-rest supportand supported bysaid rear rung at the point of crossing, said rear rung having centrally disposed therein an upwardly directed ofiset, and a seat capable of limited downward deflection secured to the upper surfaces of said side rails forming seat-supporting means adapted to rest thereon with the rear underside of said seat adapted to tangential contact with said offset due to said downward deflection when said chair is in use, there being a free space between the underside of said seat and the top of said offset when said chair is not in use.

3. A chair comprising a pair of channel-shaped side rails, the open sides of which are inwardly disposed, said channels held in spaced apart essentially parallel relation by a single front and rear rung, said side channels at their free ends extending downwardly and outwardly from the plane of the seat support formed by said side rails to provide downwardly and outwardly depending stub legs, said stub legs of essentially tubular form and adapted to receive in telescopic assembly tapered chair leg extension elements also of generally tubular construction, the free ends of said extension legs defining a rectangle of larger dimension than said stub legs, a pair of L-shaped members the horizontal free ends of which originate in spaced apart and rigid attachment forwardly and above said front rung and the vertical free ends of which terminate rearwardly and above said rear rung in skew 4 relation to one another in attachment rearwardly of the chair back-rest; said rear rung member adapted to provide additional supporting means beneath but in contact with the horizontal leg elements of said back-supporting means, said rear rung having centrally disposed therein an upwardly directed curved offset, and a body conforming seat member capable of limited downward defiection secured to said side channel rails and rear underside of said seat adapted to tangential contact with the upwardly curved ofiset due to said downward deflection of said rear rung when said chair is in use, there being a free space between the underside of said seat and the top of said offset when said chair is not in use.

4. A chair comprising a pair of curved, channel-shaped side rails the open sides of which are inwardly disposed, said channels essentially mirror images of one another held in spaced apart essentially parallel relation to one another by a single front and rear rung whose free ends are in rigid attachment to said side rails, the free .ends of each of said side rails extending downwardly and outwardly from the plane of the seat support formed by said side rails to provide downwardly and outwardly depending essentially tubular stub legs, said stub legs adapted to receive in telescopic assembly tapered tubular chair leg extension elements whose free ends define a rectangle of larger dimension than defined by said seatsupporting rails, a pair of L-shaped tubular members the horizontal free ends of which originate in spaced apart attachment above and supported by said front rung, the vertical free ends of which terminate above and rearwardly from said rear rung in a skew relation to one another supported by said rear rung in attachment with the chair backrest, said rear rung of tubular construction supported below the plane of said seat-supporting means by the free, crimped ends thereof entering into the inwardly disposed face of the rear stub legs to provide supporting means beneath but in contact with the overlying horizontal legs of the back-rest supporting elements, said rear rung having centrally disposed therein an upwardly directed curved offset; and a body-conforming seat capable of limited downward deflection secured to the seat-supporting means defined by the upward face of the side rail channels, the rear underside of said seat adapted to tangential contact with the upwardly curved portion of said offset due to said downward deflection when said chair is in use, there being a free space between the underside of said seat and the top of said ofiset when'said chair is not in use.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 844,881 Lester Feb. 19, 1907 2,806,515 Burst Sept. 17, 1957 2,845,111 Barecki et al. July 29, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS $065,990 France Ian. 13, 1954 1.141.722 France Mar. 18, 1957 

